Device for stretching the throat of shoe vamps



Dec. 1,1936.

DEVICE FOR STRETCHING THE THROAT OF SHOE- VAMPS Filed June 6, 1935 J. B.NICOLETTI 2,062,758

Cal

Patented Dec. 1, 1936 STTES FFICE, L

DEVICE FOR, STRETCHING THE THROAT 9F SHOE VAMIES 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for stretching the throat of a shoevamp.

In the manufacture of shoes, and particularly ladies pumps, shaping thevamp and its throat presents a difficult problem. It is essential inv acomfortably fitting pump or shoe that the vamp should readily adaptitself to the shape of the instep without binding and exerting pressurethereagainst. However, the shape and location of the instep varies withdifferent individuals. It is impossible, therefore, to standardize theshape or design of the throat of the vamp, but to adapt the same to eachinstep at the time the shoes are fitted if comfort and appearance aredesirable. I am aware that attempts have been made heretofore to adjustthe throat of a shoe vamp to an instep by devices which would spread thematerial by a rolling operation. Ihese devices are highly unsatisfactoryin actual use because they readily break the binding along the edge ofthe vamp and invariably break the fibre of the leather which destroysthe appearance of the shoe. The rolling action of such prior art devicesmerely flattens the material, and consequently causes the throat to loseits conforming appearance at the instep.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of thistype adapted to accomplish its endsby fitting to and stretching thethroat of a shoe vamp and simultaneously to conform the throat duringthe stretching operation to the shape of the instep so that the vampwill retain its conforming appearance and the binding will be protectedagainst being broken or destroyed.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide, therefore, animproved type of device capable of comfortably adapting the throat of avamp to an instep without destroying the appearance of the shoe orwithout breaking the fibre or the binding along the edges.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thistype capable of easy and ready use and which may be employed toaccomplish its purpose without destroying the appearance of the shoe.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a simple form ofdevice of this type so that its operation is simple and so that it maybe readily used for various other purposes in the comfortable fitting ofa shoe to the foot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedetailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingwhich forms a part hereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention asapplied in use to a ladies 5 p p;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view looking downwardly at the forward end of thedevice, the rear endof the handles being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a View of the forward end of the device, a portion of which isin section to illustrate the manner in which it grips the throat of ashoe vamp to stretch and simultaneously to conform the same to a desiredshape;

Fig. 4 illustrates the vamp of this the device is applied; Y

Fig. 5 illustrates the same vamp after throat thereof has beenstretched; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View illustrating the head of the lowerclamping member in elevation and the head of the upper clamping memberpartly in section to show the relation of these parts.

The device illustrated in the drawing asone embodiment of the inventioncomprises a pair of clamping members 2 and 3 having rearwardly extendinghandle portions: 4 and 5 and forwardly extending jaws Band I. Clampingmembers 2 and 3 may be suitably pivoted together by means of a pintle 8.1

Lower jaw l is a continuation. of upper handle 5 and has its forward endformed into an enlarged head 8. Upper jaw 6 is a continuation of lowerhandle t and is fitted with a head end 9 having an opening it ofsubstantially the same contour as head 8 so as to receive the same incooperating relation when clamping members: 2 and 3 are broughttogether. Head 8 is cut away at M to form a seat l2 and a stop inthe-form of an abutment wall I3. As shown in Fig. 2, '40 outer face M ofhead 8 is curved at the corners I9 and and across the central part toconform to the shape of wall E5 of opening Iii. However, head B may beslightly smaller than opening lll so that a predetermined space 16 maybe provided between wall M and wall l5. This predetermined space mayrepresent substantially the same or different thickness of the leatheror other material comprising the throat of the vamp.

The width of head 8, as well as its shape in this dimension, isdetermined by the part of the shoe to which it is to be adapted. In casethe device is applied to the throat of a ladies pump, head 8 may be ofthe same width and shape as the throat 55 shoe before 15 I the of thevamp so that after the stretching operation the throat will be formed tothe instep and not merely flattened to destroy the appearance of thepump.

When the device is mounted in position upon the pump, jaws S and I willbe opened slightly to separate head 8 from head 9. The throat of theshoe vamp may then be brought against shoulder I3 and rested upon seat[2. Inasmuch as seat l2 and shoulder l3 are approximately the same shapecrosswise as the throat of the vamp, the shoulder I3 serves as apositioning means for the throat of the vamp to prevent the latter frombeing improperly positioned upon seat l2. In other words, retaining wall[3 acts to position the throat upon seat l2 due to its shape andrelation with seat l2. Consequently, the throat will be placed upon seat12 in proper position with respect to the front of the pump so that atall times when head 9 is brought down upon head 8, the proper stretchingof the throat is effected without destroying the appearance of the pump.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that after the throat of the pump is placedupon seat l2 and against abutment wall 13 which acts as a limit in theseating of the throat upon seat I2, applying pressure between heads 8and 9 forces the inner edge I8 of head 9 against the vamp which causesthe edge of the throat to pull away slightly from abutment wall I3.However, the throat of the vamp is also securely held at corners l9 and2B, which are curved to conform to the shape of the curved throat, andwhich, therefore, function to retain this throat securely between edgel9 and the wall of seat l2.

It may be desirable to keep the device in this relation upon thethroatof the vamp for a predetermined period in order that the throat willreceive a fixed or set stretch, as indicated at 2| in Fig. 5. To thisend it is suggested that a threaded bolt 22 may be anchored near theouter end of lower handle 4 and passed through an elongated slot 23 inhandle 5. A wing nut 24 may be employed to apply the proper pressurebetween these handles in order to effect the permanent stretch 2 I, asshown in Fig. 5, in the throat of the vamp.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provideda clamping device comprising clamping jaws having inner engaging edgesor surfaces which are adapted to receive the throat of a shoe vamp andgrip the same while applying pressure thereto in order to stretch thematerial and thereby conform it to a shape which adapts it to insteps ofdifferent heights or shapes. The extent of the stretching of thematerial depends, of course, upon the pressure applied and the length oftime the device remains clamped upon the throat of the vamp. Moreover,the size of seat [2 also determines the amount of stretch, it beingnoted that this may be varied considerably in the making of the deviceso as to secure greater or lesser stretching of the throat of the Vamp,if desired. Moreover, it will be noted that the device herein discloseddoes not tend to break the binding 25 about the edge of the shoe becausethe stretching action is effected beyond this bind mg.

Moreover, it will be noted from the foregoing description that thedevice disclosed herein is extremely simple in construction andoperation and assures a proper application to the shoe due to its shapeand relation of parts. Accordingly, the same principle of operation maybe applied in a device of slightly different shape so as to adapt it tothe stretching of the shoe at different locations, if so desired.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain thegist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge,readily adopt the same for use under varying conditions of service,without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said toconstitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items areintended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the'class described, a pair of members movablerelative to each other, and

clamping jaws on said members, one of said jaws being apertured toreceive the other jaw in clamping relation, the other jaw having a seatformed thereon for receiving the throat of a shoe vamp, and means forlimiting the positioning of the vamp upon said seat to prevent the edgeof the vamp from being gripped by said jaws whereby said jaws arebrought together in clamping relation to stretch or preform the throatof said shoe vamp.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of members movablerelative to each other, and clamping jaws on said movable members, oneend of one of said jaws having a seat for receiving the throat of a shoevamp, there being means for positioning the throat upon said seat, thecorresponding end of the other jaw having an edge cooperating with saidseat to grip the throat thereupon and preform it to correspond to theshape of an instep.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of members movablerelative to each other, and clamping jaws on said movable members, oneof said jaws having a cut-away portion forming a seat and adjoiningshoulders for receiving the throat of a vamp in a predeterminedposition, the other jaw having a cooperating portion for gripping thethroat of the vamp upon said seat.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of members movablerelative to each other, and clamping jaws on said movable members havingcooperating engaging portions for receiving and stretching the throat ofa vamp, one of said portions having a seat and a shoulder forpositioning the throat upon said seat, the other portion being aperturedto receive the first portion, and means for applying a pressure betweensaid portions.

JOHN B. NICOLETTI.

